Reform UK Councillors Delay £705,000 Housing Plan After Finding Out Who One of the Homes Would Be Given To

Stafford Borough Council is preparing to spend around £675,000 to buy three homes that will be used to provide accommodation for people who need housing.

However, councillors in neighbouring Cannock Chase have delayed a similar plan because they want more information before making a final decision, particularly about a national programme involving the resettlement of Afghan families.

Both councils have received money from the Government through the Local Authority Housing Fund. Stafford Borough Council has been awarded £351,300, while Cannock Chase District Council has been allocated £325,200.

The funding is expected to help each council buy three properties. Under the plans, two of the homes in each area would be used as temporary accommodation for local people facing homelessness. The third property would be used to house a family through the Afghan Resettlement Programme.

Stafford Borough Council has decided to go ahead with its plan. Cabinet members agreed that the council would use the £351,300 government grant and add another £323,700 from its own funding.

This would bring the total amount available to around £675,000 for the purchase of three homes in Stafford Borough.

A report presented to councillors explained that the Afghan Resettlement Programme provides a safe and legal route for eligible Afghans, including people who supported British efforts in Afghanistan or who are considered vulnerable.

Those accepted through the programme can receive indefinite leave to remain in the UK and have access to public funds.

According to the council report, an Afghan family would initially live in one of the properties purchased under the scheme. If that family later moved elsewhere, the property would not be lost to the council. Instead, it would then be used as temporary accommodation for people facing homelessness in the local area.

Cannock Chase District Council, however, has not yet approved its own plan.

The council had been considering using its £325,200 government allocation and adding another £379,800 towards buying three homes.

But councillors decided to delay the decision while further information is gathered and the proposal is reviewed. The matter later returned to the council’s cabinet but was deferred again.

Councillor Mandy Bell, the cabinet member responsible for resources and corporate services, said the council originally applied for the funding when it was under Labour control. Reform UK took control of the council in May.

She also raised questions about the Afghan resettlement arrangements and said councillors wanted more information about the Home Office process before agreeing to spend the additional money.

Councillor Bell said the council’s main priority was the protection and safety of Cannock Chase residents.

She also pointed out that Cannock Chase District Council currently has more than 30 council-owned properties listed as empty, known as having “void status”.

Because of this, she questioned whether the additional £380,000 being considered for the scheme could instead be used to repair and improve existing council properties so they could be brought back into use.

There is an important difference between the housing situations in Stafford and Cannock Chase.

Cannock Chase District Council still owns its council housing stock, while Stafford Borough Council transferred its housing properties to an external social housing provider more than 20 years ago.

Stafford currently leases 15 temporary accommodation units from Homes Plus. These include 12 two-bedroom properties and three one-bedroom properties.

The council says these homes are mainly given to families with children who urgently need somewhere to stay.

The average family remains in this type of temporary accommodation for around 10 to 16 weeks, although this can vary depending on the size of the family and the level of support they need.

When these temporary homes are full, Stafford Borough Council often has to place people in bed and breakfast accommodation.

But the council says finding suitable bed and breakfast accommodation is becoming increasingly difficult.

Hotels and other accommodation providers are dealing with competing demand, while some commercial hotel chains place limits on how many people referred by local authorities they will accept at one time.

The council said its Housing Options team always tries to prevent people from becoming homeless and needing emergency accommodation in the first place.

However, growing pressure on public services means some households are approaching the council only when their housing situation has already reached a crisis.

Since January 2026, the council says an average of around 20 households have been living in bed and breakfast accommodation at the end of each month.

Officials believe this shows that Stafford needs more temporary accommodation.

The council has previously reviewed the situation and concluded that buying and managing its own properties could be the most cost-effective way of increasing the amount of temporary accommodation available.

Stafford is already taking other steps to increase its housing supply.

Renovation work is expected to begin on office accommodation that will be converted into six individual temporary housing units. These properties will be owned and managed directly by Stafford Borough Council and are expected to be completed by March 2027.

The council has also recently bought a two-bedroom house that is expected to become available for temporary accommodation in autumn 2026.

Officials described the purchase as a positive first step towards building up a larger supply of council-owned temporary housing.

Stafford Borough Council now wants to increase the number of properties it owns so that it can respond to growing demand from residents who become homeless or urgently need somewhere to live.

While Stafford is moving ahead with the purchase of three more properties, Cannock Chase councillors are taking a different approach for now, delaying their decision while they examine the Afghan resettlement arrangements and whether additional council money could instead be spent bringing existing empty properties back into use.